Well mechanism.



'P. D. BOWLER & W. D. DUTTON.

WELL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1'7, 1912.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

an I 6 Z/CMZL @Q/ UNITED STATES PAETENT OFFICE.

PAUL D. IBOWLER AND WILLIAM D. DUTTQN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

ASSIGNORS T0 LAYNE 86 BOWLER CORPORATIONXOF LOS ANGELES, GALI- FORNIA, ACORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

WELL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Application filed October 17, 1912. Serial No. 726,373.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PAUL D. Bowman and WILLIAM D. DUT'roN, bothcitizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful WellMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

In general our invention relates to deep pumping wells comprising asectioned casing containing pumping mechanism and sunk often severalhundred feet into the ground. The same is termed a pit casing and has asmaller sectional well'casing protruding sometimes several hundredfeetfarther from its lower extremity and adapted to lead water, oil orother fluid up to the pumping mechanism in the pit. When the pit casingis sunk into gravels themselves bearing water or oil, it may be suitablyperforated and screened, so that the fluid passes directly through it tothe pumping mechanism within. In this sense the pit casing) is also aWell casing of large diameter, ut for purposes of clearness this memberwill be uniformly referred to only as a pit casing in thisspecification.

In the old methods of installing deep well casings the practicewas todrill and ream a well bore large enough to receive the well casing andthen the upper portion of thewell bore was enlarged forming a pit borefor receiving the pit casing. The well cas-- ing was then loweredsection after section through the pit bore into the well bore until setin the latter at a proper depth, there being a coupling member carriedon that section of said well casing calculated to rest at the bottom ofthe enlarged .pit bore. The pit casing carrying at its lower extremityanother member adapted 'to lock with said coupling member on the wellcasing, was then lowered section after section into the pit bore, and ifall went well the coupling members on the pit and well casingscametogether and effected the coupling and sealing of the opening,between the two casings. In practising this method the well casing wasnecessarily installed before the pit casing, due to the construction ofthe coupling members, and this sequence sometimes introduced veryobjectionable conditions.

As the pit casing is lowered through the pit bore it often encountersprojecting boulders and other matter which it unseats .and precipitatesto the bottom of the pit burying the coupling member of the well casingwhich isthere located. In this event the member on the pit casing isintercepted by the boulders, so that it cannot reach and couple with thecoupling member on the Well casing, the only alternative being to leavethe casing disconnected and the opening between the same unsealed. Inoperatin a casing system so disconnected sand and ot er matter willheave up through the unsealed opening into the pit casing and will soonseriously interfere with the pumping mechanism and practically cripplethe well.

The invention embodied in this application relates to a novel form andcombination of parts whereby a well casing may be easily and properlycoupled toa pit casing in accordance with the best modern practice, andwhereby the opening between the pit casing and the well casing may besubstantially closed.

Among other features of novelty the invention is characterized by thefollowing points:

(a). The pit casing may first be set into the earth, the well casing maythen be sub vsequently lowered into position through the set pit casing,and the closure means may then be connected to the pit casing wherebytheopening between the pit casing and the Well casing is substantiallyclosed; With a combination of parts such as this, no boulders can bedislodged and precipitated onto the coupling or closure element so as tointerce t the pit casing and closure means, an thereby prevent theconnection of the coupling member or closure means with the pit casing.

(b). The closure means is loose with respect to the well casing so thatthe well casing may move upwardly or downward-1y through the closuremeans so as to accommodate itself to any settling, heaving or shiftingof the earth portions into which it penetrates. Even with this provisionthe Well casing will not ordinarily settle so far as to become suspendedfrom the closure member and so as to throw its weight onto same, norwill the well casing heave upward so far as to strain the closuremember. The

"well casing is free to move up or down 5 by obviated. Also byhaviiigithe closure means loose with respect to the well casing, theparticular point at which the closure means is connected to the wellcasing is not of such great moment, because the well casing may belowered until it rests practically on the bottom of the well bore, andthe relatively loose closure means will then accommodate itself to theclosure supporting means on the pit. casing and will insure a thoroughclosure between said pit casing andthe well casing. -Each of the abovefeatures are somewhat independent of the other, and either may beemployed advantageously without the other Either of said features,therefore,.are sufiicient to impart novelty to the construction. Thisapplication shows several forms of our .invention and notice is herebygiven that the novel matter herein shown in Figs. 5 and 6 and hereindescribed forms the subject matter of, land is claimed in our copendingapplication, Serial Number 747 ,81 1, fiiledFebruar 11, 1913.

' The accompanying invention.

Figure 1 is an axial section through a portion of the pit casing andcoupling embracing theinvention. Fig. 2.is a sectional plan of the sametaken on line w Fig. 1. Fig.

of coupling embracing the invention. Fig. 4 is an axial section of thebushing used in connection with the coupling in Fig. 3. Fig.

5 is a plan section along j is an axial section of the coupling shown inFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through a pit and well casing asinstalled and shows the layers of soil and gravel through which thecasin are set.

A In the invention as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7, the hollow cylindricaldrum 1, comprising several sections 1 Fig. =7, and termed a pit'casing,has a" cast head 2, attached. to

its lower end-by any. suitablev means 2', said head having the-internaltapered coupling screw 3, and the external auger blades 4:

attached by means of bolts 5. After the elongated cavities constitutingthe well and the pit bores'A and B respectivelyhave been formed in theground thepit casing 1 is sunk by turning it, while in a vertical posivvtion sothat the auger blades 4 ream the pit bore to a diameter slightlylarger. than the sections 1 to sink freely and follow the auger to thebottom of the pit bore. The pit -easing is said to be se .when thebottom of the pitbore is reached.

The smaller cylindrical well casing 600mrawings illustrate the i 3 is anaxial section through a second form line a", Fig; 6,- 40 showing a thirdform of coupling. .Fig. 6

the pit casing, thus permitting head .2 and posing several sections 6 isthen lowered through the set pit easing into the well bore B until itsperforated and screened portion C extends mto the water or oil bearinggravels indicated in Fig. 7. Thou h the pit casing may also beperforate% and screened so as to perform in part the duty of a wellcasing, most of the water will be led up to the pit through the well 6,.and it is essential therefore that the said well casing and pit casingbe intercoupled and that the openin between them be sealed againstheaving o the quicksand, clay or gravel without. The means for efiectingthis coupling and sealing will now be described.

Onthe upper section of the well'casing 6, which is provided withmetallic strips 7 forming a substantially continuous key 8,

is carried loosel a solid coupling and sealing bushing 9 iaving anaperturelO' and key slot 11 adapted to register with key 8, so that thebushing is slidably and nonrotatably mounted on the said section of thewell casing. The bushing is also provided externally with the taperedthreads 12, so that when the easingis lowered into the pit, the taperedthreads 3 and 12 of the coupling head and bushing respectively will'find each other automatically. The well casing at this stage of theinstallation extends through the pit casing to the surface of the earthand by turning the same from above, bushing 9 will screw ome incoupling-head 2, thus sealing the opening between the two casings andslidably coupling them together. The well casing will now settle in thewell bore and by use of an inside cutter may be cut a few feet above thecoupling so that the upper surplus portion may be withdrawn and leavethe space within the pit free for the introduction of pumping machinerynot shown in the drawings. It should be particularly noticed that thefeature which makes this advantageous sequence of coupling operationspossible is the factl that the coupling head has coupling entrance forthe bushing from .above. In some prior forms of such mechanism thecoupling head only had coupling entrance for the bushing from below sothat it was necessary first to install the well casing and then installthe pit casing into the wellcasing. As has been sulted sometimes in theburial of the bush- ..ing andmade it impossible to connect the head andbushing together. If preferred, however, the removal of the uppersurplus portion of the well casing may be effected by the followinmeans. A collar 13, having a lower right emale thread 14 and upper leftfemale thread 15., is screwed on the final uppermost well section 6,which is equipped for the purpose with threads 14' at its upperextremity. A setting pipe 16, running through the pit casing to thesurface, is provided with left threads which are screwed home into theleft thread 15 of the collar. When this construction is used the settingpipe is rotated from above until the right-threaded bushing 9 screwshome hard in the coupling head after which a further forced rotativeeffort applied to the setting pipe will result in unscrewing the leftthreaded connection 15, and permitting the setting pipe to be withdrawnfrom the pit casing. To secure this advantageousmode of screwing thecoupling into the coupling head and of detaching the setting pipe fromthe collar and the well casing, it is merely necessary that the screwconnection between the coupling bushing and the coupling head hethreaded oppositely from the screw connection between the setting pipeand the well casing or collar, so that the same rotation of the settingpipe tends to tighten the connection between the coupling bushing andcoupling head, while it tends to loosen o-r unscrew the connectionbetween the setting pipe and the well casing. After the casings havebeen set as above the wellv casing 6 will settle into the well bore, andcollar 13 will serve to prevent said casing from becoming lost bysliding through and out of the coupling bushing 9. If later the soilshould fall or sink causing either the pit or the well casing to settle,the sealing bushing will permit the two casings to slide on each otherand accommodate themselves to their changed surroundings, thus avoidingthe straining and breaking tendency experienced when the coupling is ofthe usual rigid type.

In the form of coupling shown in Fig. 3 the threads of the head orcasting 2 have been formed at the level of the auger blades 4, thischange decreasing the actual length of the piece.

In the form of coupling shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the auger and couplinghead 2 is internally formed with a tapered aperture 17 adapted tocooperate with a split annular frusto-conical bushing-18. This bushingis formed in any suitable number of independent sections, four beingshown; and each section being provided with two apertures 19 and 20starting from faces 21 and 22 in a recess wand passing through to thesplitting diameters'23 and 24 respectively.- Thesections, which areformed about a central circular aperture 27 are loosely held together bybolts 25 and nuts 26, the said bolts passing through apertures 19 and20.

In using this form of coupling the well and pit bores are first drilled,the pit casing is set, the .well casing is then lowered into the wellbore, and the spli annular bushing is finally slipped over the wellcasing and al-\ lowed to slide down through the pit casing until itfalls into aperture 17. At this point the sections of the bushing willbe driven against the well casing by the tapered face of the aperture,

and the weight of the well casing frictionally drawing on the sides ofthe bushing sections will bind the same tighter onto itself and producea very eflicient seal and grip between the two casings. portions of thesections are so chosen that their sides practically close together alongthe splitting diameters 23 and 24 when the well casing is gripped, andwith this provision it is seen that the coupling bushing acts also toseal the opening between the. pit and well casings.

. In connection with all of the foregoing mechanism it should be notedthat the closure means 9 and the closure supporting means 2 may havemany dif ferent forms and need not be screwthreaded to eachother as inthe preferred construction described. Any mode whatsoever for connectingor disconnecting the closure means with the pit casing whenthe wellcasing has been subsequently lowered into position through the set pitcasing, would be sufficient. Viewing the invention from anotherviewpoint, it would not even be necessary to provide any means forconnecting and disconnecting the closure means to the pit casing so longas the closure means was sufficiently heavy as when made out ofmetal, orother heavy substance, to retain its position against upheavings of rockor sand or other portions of the earth; and solong as said closure meanswere loose with respect to the well casing so that the latter may movethrough the closure means and respond with any settling or heavingtendency in the earth. The following crude view of the applicantsconstruction illustrates the scope which it is intended to cover.

It is obvious that the tapered and threaded walls 3 of theclosuresupporting head 2 substantially constitute a shoulder, andinstead of forming this shoulder along a downwardly tapering wall, thesame may have any other suitable form, like a square fiat shoulder, forinstance. The closure means 9 may then be formed as a heavy flat bushingor washer made out of metal or other sufiiciently heavy material. Noscrew 'threads or other connecting features would then be necessary asthe weight of the closure means would be sufficient for the purpose. Nokey, or no key-way, would, of course, be necessary. Such a washer couldbe lowered onto the closure supporting shoulder just as the washer orbushings hereinbefore set forth are lowered onto the head 2. In view ofthe cap 13 the washer would prevent the well casing dropping out fromthe pit'casing, and in this sense, would effect a true coupling relationbetween the well and pit casing. Such a crude construction, along withmany others, is actually embodied in the more perfect The size andproform of well mechanism shown in Fig. 7

and all these constructions lie within the spirit of this invention.

We claim a 1. In combination a pit casing, a well casing, and heavymetallic closure means loose with respect-to said well casing butfirm'with respect to said pit casing, for substantially closing theopening between the well casing and the pit casing.

2. In combination a well casing, a pitcasing, closure supporting meanson said pit casing, and heavy metallic closure 'means loose with respectto said well casing and normally supported on said closure supportingmeans for substantially closing the opening .between the well casing andthe pit casing. 1

3. In combination a pit casing, a well casing, and closure means loosewith respect to said well casing, said cl'osure means being adapted tosubstantially'close the opening between the well casing and the pitcasing,

. ing of smaller diameter than the pit casing,

a coupling head on said pit casing, a couplingbushing for said couplinghead, said head having coupling entrance for said bushing'from above, soas to connect said bushing and head together, and said bushingsubstantially closing the opening between said pit casing and well,casing.

6. A pit casing adapted to be sunk into the earth, a coupling membersecured thereto, a'well casing adapted to be lowered into said sunk pitcasing, a coupling bushing on said well casing, said coupling bushinghaving a screw-threaded connection with said coupling member, andoperating means between said well casing and said coupling bushing foroperating said coupling bushing so as to efiect the connection betweensaid bushing and said coupling member after said well casing has beenlowered through said pit casing.

'7. A pit easing, a coupling member s'ecured thereto, a screw thread onthe coupling member, a coupling bushing having a thread adapted toengage the thread of the coupling member, the coupling bushing having anaperture and a key slot in said aperture, a well casing adapted to passthrough the aperture in the bushing, and a key rigidly attached to thewell casing and adapted to register with the key slot in the bushing.

8. A pit casing, a coupling member secured thereto, a screw thread onthe coupling member, a coupling bushing having a thread adapted toengage the thread of the coupling member, the coupling bushing having anaperture and a key slot in said aperture, a well casing adapted to passthrough the aperture in the bushing, a key rigidly attached to the wellcasing and adapted to register with-the key slot in the bushing, and acollar attached to the-upper extremity of the well casing, said collarhaving a left female thread adapted to receive a left male thread on asetting pipe.-

9. A pit casing, a coupling member secured thereto, a tapered internalscrew thread on the coupling member, a coupling bushing having a taperedexternal screw thread adapted to engage the thread of the couplingmember, the coupling bushing having an aperture and a key slot in saidaperture, a well casing adapted to pass through the aperture in thebushing, and a ke rigidly attached to the well casing and a apted toregister with the key slot in the bushing.

10. A well casing, a setting pipe, a screwthreaded connection betweensaid well casing and said setting pipe, a 'pit casing, a coupling headon said pit casing, a coupling bushing on said well casing, saidcoupling "head and said coupling bushing bein adapted to efi'ect a screwconnection witi each other, the screw connection between said wellcasing and said setting pipe being opposite in direction to the screwconnection between said coupling bushing-and said coupling head, so thatthe same rotation which tends to tighten the screw connection betweenthe coupling bushing and the coupling head tends to loosen theconnection between the setting pipe and the well casing.

In testimony whereof. we have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles,California, this 10th day of October, 1912.

PAUL D. BOWLER. WILLIAM D. DUTTON.

In presence of- ROBERT A. Sure, JOHN A. WINSTROATH.

